Chapter 31 Tommy
Tommy
The New Year’s Eve gala is in the Dragovari Tower lobby this year, the rooftop too small to contain the crowd.
Candles line the marble, flickering against glass and steel, and I feel like I have a queen on my arm.
Her dress sparkles in the candlelight, and people turn to stare as we walk in.
I look down at her, following their gaze, but she is unbothered.
I don’t think she sees it, how people look at her.
How she commands the attention of the room when she walks in.
She smiles up at me, but it’s the fake smile, the one she calls camouflage.
My chest knots, seeing her look at me that way.
I hope it’s just for show.
“Tommy! I was hoping I’d see you here tonight!
” I look up to see Councilman Patrick Donovan walking toward me, a drink in one hand and his assistant in the other, Ash Gale, a perfectly coiffed woman with bronze red hair.
I smile easily. I’ve been interning at his office since law school, and I’m helping him on his campaign for assemblyman.
“Councilman, good to see you. My partner, Giovanna Marino. Giovanna, Councilman Patrick Donovan and his assistant, Ash Gale.”
Gi smiles brightly at him and his assistant.
“Councilman! I think we’ve skirted each other at these events for years.
So nice to officially meet you.”
Donovan’s brows rise.
“‘Partner’? I thought you were just working for me, Demonio. You’ve got other business ventures I don’t know about?
”
I laugh. “I work with my brothers, as you know, but no, Giovanna and I don’t work together.
She’s at NYU, pre-law and philosophy.”
He grins at her like he’s just discovered treasure.
“Ah, brilliant. Wait, are you a girlfriend? I didn’t realize you had a girlfriend, Demonio.
” He smacks my shoulder, his eyes on Gi.
“Smart man, hiding her from me. But a pre-law degree? I may need to poach you when you finish law school. When your boyfriend here finishes his PhD in Economics, you two will be an unstoppable force.”
“Yes,” she says faintly.
“He’s an…asset.”
I’m looking at Donovan, but I feel Giovanna stiffen beside me.
When I glance at her, the smile is gone from her eyes.
I guess she heard something in what he said that I didn’t because I can tell she’s furious, though no one else would see it but me.
I’m about to pull her away when Councilman Donovan clamps a hand on my shoulder.
“Definitely is! Most politicians don’t realize the value of economics as a primary focus of study, but money runs the world, doesn’t it?
”
“The economy is actually driven by people and not money. Giovanna will be the first to tell you that understanding people isn’t my strong suit, but I’m hoping to change that with this course of study.
”
“Of course! Exactly why I’d love to make you a permanent member of my team.
Can we talk soon?” His face is serious now, and I take the cue, altering my expression to mirror his.
“Of course. I’ll get something on the calendar with you when I come into work on Monday.
”
“Monday? Tomorrow? You know that’s New Year’s Day and a holiday, right?
Giovanna, do you let him do that? I tell Ash all the time that a hustler has to hustle, but she is always mad when I work on holidays.
”
Giovanna laughs lightly. Her fake laugh.
“Oh, I never mind when it’s for a good cause, and based on your platform in the last election, it’s clear that you are doing important work.
I’m proud he’s part of it.”
Fuck, she’s perfect.
I beam at her and reach for her hand, but she pulls away and smooths her dress.
“If you’ll excuse me, Councilman, Ms. Gale, so lovely to meet you.
”
She walks away from us, and I frown. She doesn’t look back, and she’s practically stomping across the floor, her hips swaying angrily.
I pull a smile back on my face as Councilman Donovan lets out a low whistle, watching her walk away.
“Looks like you’re in the doghouse, Demonio.
I’ll let you go get the lady a drink.” He winks at me, and Ash flashes a concerned smile as she follows him to the next group of people.
Gi is headed to the bar, but when she sees me coming, she turns sharply and ducks into the ladies’ room.
Like that’s going to stop me.
I slam open the door and turn the corner to find her glaring at me in the mirror.
“What was that, Gi?”
Two other women are in there with her.
One gives me a dirty look, and the other blushes and smiles as they leave.
“Tommy, just go.” Gi is digging in her bag.
“I have bigger issues than you right now.”
“What issues?”
“I forgot to bring tampons, okay,” she snaps.
“Lexi isn’t coming tonight, and I don’t know any females here I can ask.
”
I pull out my phone. “I saw Olivia when we came in. I’ll text her.
”
Olivia is a girl that my family took in a few years back when her father’s death on the job left her an orphan.
“Isn’t she 10?” Gi asks, irritated.
“No,” I say, putting my phone away.
“She’s 10 years younger than me, so she’s 14 now.
Is that too young? When do women start their period?
”
Gi waves her hand, dismissing me. “Whatever. I’ll just text the driver to pick some up.
Go talk to people who have no idea that I’m in your life.
Go sign up for another degree program without telling me.
Go live your fucking life without me.”
I frown.
“Why would I talk about you at work? You know I don’t do personal conversations.
”
Gi slams her bag on the counter. “I’m not something personal, Tommy!
I’m your girlfriend. These people see you more than I do, and they don’t know I exist?
That doesn’t send the message that I’m important to you, and it doesn’t make me feel very good about our relationship.
”
I sigh and move closer to her, running my palms lightly up and down her arms. “Gi, when I’m at work, I’m focused.
I have to be. If I’m thinking about you all the time, I’m going to come find you, and I can’t do that every day.
”
“When was the last time you did?” Her eyes shine, hard and furious.
“When was the last time I came first for you? I didn’t even know you were signing up for a PhD program.
Do you get that? I live with you.
I sleep with you.
And I don’t even know what school you’re going to.
It’s fucking embarrassing and tragic, and I just—I don’t know, Tommy.
”
I’m stunned. “Nothing I’ve done was meant to hurt you, Gi.
”
She rolls her eyes. “I know, Tommy. You’re not trying to hurt me.
Trust me, it’s the only reason I’m still with you considering this bullshit started, what, like six months into our relationship.
But you’re not trying to be with me, either.
”
“I don’t know what that means. I am with you.
I don’t need to try to be with you.”
She whirls on me, slapping her bag against my chest. “Yes, Tommy, you do. We live together, but we never see each other.”
I flip back through my memory like pages in a book.
I feel like we’ve seen each other: I sleep next to her when I’m home, grabbed coffee in the kitchen together at least once recently, I think.
We took a shower together a couple weeks ago.
We’re here now. But I have a feeling that pointing those things out won’t make her happy, and that’s all I want to do.
“I see you right now, Gi.” She’s stiff, but she lets me pull her into my arms. “The most beautiful woman in the room. The one who makes me better every time she looks at me. If I haven’t made it clear that you’re everything to me, let me show you right now.
”
She exhales hard and purses her lips. “Tommy, I don’t want to get fucked in the women’s bathroom.
I told you, I’m on my period. And you can’t fix everything with sex.
”
I tip her chin up. “We don’t need fixing.
We’re perfect.”
Her eyes flash. “We’re not—”
“We are.” My voice is rough, final.
“And I’m going to fuck you right now, Gi.
”
“This is a public place!”
“That matters?” I rip her dress over her head, toss my jacket aside.
Fuck, she’s only wearing a lacy pair of panties and high heels.
I’m instantly hard. “You’re mine, which means I fuck you when and where I want.
”
“What if people come in?” She’s breathless.
Even when she’s furious, she still wants me.
“I don’t fucking care,” I snarl, rolling up my sleeves.
“They can join if you want them to or leave. But this pussy is mine.”
“This isn’t what I meant when I said I wanted to be known as your girlfriend, Tommy.
” She gasps as I drop to my knees, rip the crotch of her panties, and bury my face in her pussy without preamble, eating her and getting her all over my face.
“Oh my God! I’m bleeding. How many times do I have to say it!
That’s disgusting!”
I look up at her and grin, as her jaw drops at the blood I’m sure is all over my mouth, teeth, chin.
“There is not one single thing that’s disgusting about you.
Spread your legs.”
She does as she’s told, breathing hard, and I push two fingers inside her while I lick and massage her clit with my tongue.
The taste of her blood makes me wish I had my knife, that I was carving that Shenzhen Nongke orchid she loves so much into the soft skin of her inner thighs.
The idea makes me feral, and I go from two fingers to four.
For the first time, she doesn’t stop me.
She’s so wet with blood and her arousal, her walls so pliable, that her body molds to my hand.
I watch her face, both of us locked on as I fuck her slowly.
I curl in my thumb and push my fist inside her.
She gasps as I stay locked onto her, watching every blink, every twitch, every movement on her face.
Her opening is tight and resistant, but I keep fucking her, rubbing her clit.
When I sneer and push deep inside her, her eyes glass over and her jaw drops.
“Tommy!”
“That’s it, sweet girl.”
Inside her, I find that spot she likes with my fingertips and move around it in a circle, hard then harder, until her legs quake violently.
“Tell me you like it. Tell me you love when I fist you.”
“Fuck, Tommy, oh my God!”
I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’ I keep going, maintaining a steady rhythmic pace, my thumb on her clit keeping time as I fist her.
Her blood is dripping down my arm, and I grin as it touches my sleeve, immediately darkening the fabric.
“Tommy, I’m going to come! Tommy, I’m coming, I’m coming, I’m coming—Tommy!
” She’s screaming my name so loud, her voice bounces off the wall.
Her pussy walls squeeze me so hard that it feels like she might break my hand.
I keep going until her tremors soften, then slowly pull my hand out of her.
I don’t want to. Being inside her is my safe place, the only place I want to be.
I pick her up and move her to the leather couch in the waiting area.
While I’m wetting towels with warm water to clean her up, Olivia walks in and shrieks.
“What the fuck? She looks like a murder scene. Are you killing her?”
“How did you get in here?” I growl.
“Uh, the door, idiot. You didn’t lock it.
”
Gi freaks out. “Damn it, Tommy! Oh God, if someone came in—”
Olivia chimes in.
“Oh, someone did. A few someones. I heard some people talking about you guys at the party, and two women bolted out of here like the devil was chasing them as I came in. You didn’t see them?
Damn, he must have been doing some crazy shit to you.
”
I hold up my hand to Gi, who looks like she’s about to lose her shit.
“Don’t. Move.” To Olivia, I say, “Leave the tampons over there. Lock the door on your way out.”
“I can’t lock the door from the outside, asshole.
”
I scowl and move toward her to take the tampons, forgetting that I’m covered in Gi’s blood until I see the look on Olivia’s face.
She backs away. “Oh, no you don’t. This is Chanel.
”
“Get out, Olivia.”
“Thank you for saving my girlfriend’s ass, Olivia.
By the way, you look amazing, Olivia,” she says mockingly as she skitters out the door laughing.
“You look like a monster, by the way.”
Gi is standing up and trying to rinse the blood off herself.
I reach out to do it for her, and she snatches the towel out of my hand.
“Lock the door, Tommy. People saw this? They heard me? Fuck.”
I lock the door and come back to her, washing my hands.
There’s blood on my shirtsleeves, and I grin.
I’m keeping this shirt for fucking ever.
“You worry too much about what other people think. ”
“Says the guy who forced a hoodie over my head because he thought my dress was too revealing.”
“You weren’t officially mine then.
Now that you are, you can do whatever the fuck you want.
Wear what you want. Get fucked where and how I want.
Forget what people think.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” She fixes me with a hard stare in the mirror, but when I rub her back, sliding to her breasts, then down to her clit, her body arches against me in spite of herself.
My mouth at her ear, I whisper, “Practice. Starting now.”
I bend her over the counter.